Annulment of Engagement
by yakitorii
Summary: On the paper, we could read : Contract for an engagement's cancellation "I, Saotome Ranma, wish to cancel my engagement to Tendo Akane"


**The Annulment Of Engagement**

Morning. Announcement of a new day, for new opportunities to do what could not have been done the day before. Announcement of the end of the precedent day's embarrassing moments, craziness...

Well, that was what the average people would tend to think, but Nerima 's people weren't average. For them, days after days, the same craziness and insanity would go around where a certain black-haired, pigtailed, several-times-engaged-to-different-girls, seventeen years old teenager.

For most, the situation would be entertaining and they would always be on the front rows to witness this foot-in-the-mouth-champion, sex-changing-freak-of-the-nature... and-many-more-insults-qualified-to-be-attached-to-his-name-depending-on-who-you-are-talking-to Ranma going on about his everyday life : for instance, all the students from Furikan High.

But, that was for most, so it is bound to find people that weren't amused at all by those happenings, principally the one who was to suffer what was called his life for lack of a better word.

However, him apart, one out of his numerous fiancées, the sole one to be legally bound to him and encouraged to improve his relationship with by both side's parents, Akane, was certainly annoyed if not tired of this situation of his.

So when morning would show its face every day, she would grumble many things under her breath that those courageous and endearing sailors would be admiring, even worshiping  
her for. Then, she would let out this heavy sigh and get up to do her morning routines, as in letting her frustration out by running, even if it was never enough to wear it out, until it would be time for her to head back in order to prepare herself for the upcoming day coughsillinesscough.

Like every morning, the sex-changing teenager would "spar" with his **_beloved-always-in-his-panda's-form-but-not-at-this-instant_** father until breakfast time where strangely they would both fall into the koi pond letting place to a red-haired, extremely healthy girl and a big panda.

Well, breakfast would always be the same as every other days' breakfast so no need to explain further. Although, this particular morning, Akane, the violent-uncute-unsexy-macho-like-tomboy as she was** _tenderly_** and **_thoughtfully_** named by her fiancé, was quiet, not even admonishing the same fiancé for the **_irreproachable_**table manners that he possessed. Please, do take note of the sarcasm, **_of course_.**

As it was a feat in itself, it was really disappointing none of the occupants ever noticed that. Not even the sweet, mother-like, Kasumi. Maybe it was because they were all more interested into finding how a panda could stick so much food into its mouth without salivating. Because the food was on the brink of falling out of its mouth thanks to the red-haired, busty, like in **_really_** busty, girl continuing to stuff anything that was edible, so merciful of her, into it so that the panda was too busy trying to swallow to steal any more of her food. Yes, maybe.

Ah, time for school. Akane thanked her oldest sister for the food, not that the other heard her, and managed to get out of the living room so that she could get into her room to grab her school bag then into the kitchen to retrieve her filled lunch box, to later on reach the front door to put her shoes on and to say "I'm going to school now", without any of her or her fiancé's family members and let us not forget about her fiancé himself hearing her. Shrugging with an indifferent face, she opened the door, stepped outside and closed it; she then proceeded to walk to school.

As she predicted, well, more like as she knew it, Ranma caught up with her all the while reciting all the reasons for why he found her uncute, unsexy...well, it was Ranma. While he was talking non stop, Akane sighed as they reached the point where Shampoo would bump into them, really, more like bike-bumping **_accidentally_** or not, we could never know with her, Ranma.

She sighed a while longer when she heard the aforementioned ring bell signalizing the beginning of the day's incidents, already wore tired. She didn't blink once Shampoo clung onto Ranma, she didn't even find the motivation in her to be angry so she continued onto her way to school.

Meanwhile, Ranma was awaiting his beloved mallet as he couldn't get out of the Chinese Amazon's grip and knowing that with each passing seconds, his official fiancée would mallet him into oblivion, as her anger would escalate.

Closing his eyes tightly and wincing as it was time for his daily morning forced nap, he couldn't help but notice that he didn't feel anything else other than the deadly hold that was taking his breath away. Confusion settled onto his person but no mallet and no 'Ranma-no-baka' cry from his unCUTE and unSEXY fiancée. He opened his eyes, looked around and saw nothing else than the purple-haired girl that was fast becoming like a chatting box with a broken Japanese, but no fiancée. No, more like, no angry and violent fiancée scowling at him.

He finally realized that he would likely be late for school. Again. The pig-tailed martial artist struggled against Shampoo's grip and not finding any solution to slip out of it without touching her and giving her the wrong idea – as if she needed any more of these – he jumped, by his own free will might I insist, down the fence and into the canal.

A shrill shriek was heard as a red-haired girl jumped over the fence and ran straight to school with a terrified expression. Ranma arrived five minutes after Akane so to say how fast he ran without even breaking a sweat and still in his girl form. The** _girl_ **reached **_his_**classroom – confusing, don't you find, people – just on time and everyone looked at him strangely before turning their head to Akane who sat looking out the window boringly. Before anyone could speak, the teacher walked into the room. Hearing nothing as it was not an everyday situation, she turned her head and saw Ranma with everyone's stares on him.

First, she was surprised, but then recompose herself.

"This is a first, Saotome-san, you're exactly on time. I hope no disasters will come upon us. Do take your seat."

The pig-tailed teenager looked confusedly at her then sweat dropped as everyone were still eying him, so he went to his seat, making his comrades start and finally, class started.

The day went as it had been going any other day once he found hot water to change back to his guy form. All of his fiancées came at lunch time, the Kuno siblings made an appearance... Ah, for once, Ryoga did not show his face but then again he may be lost somewhere in the country so it wasn't a fact to be stressing about so Ranma didn't even realize that the changing-into-a-piglet boy never challenged him on this everyday day.

Every time one of his fiancées would show up and offer lunch to the dark-haired teenager, Akane would sigh either in annoyance or in exasperation, nobody knew. But she wouldn't intervene.

As every day, this school day finished. Because of his Shampoo-delay, Ranma let his tomboy fiancée walk home alone not knowing that he steeled her decision.

Miraculously, he caught up with Akane just before they had to turn a corner and would be at Tofu-sensei's clinic. They walked in silence. The type of silence where you have nothing to say and neither do the person with you so you both let it go on.

At this moment, several things happened.

Ranma opened his mouth to break the silence; Akane parted slightly her lips as a sigh of relief was about to found its way out upon sight of the clinic as no attacks, no fiancées would show up there; a ribbon coming from nowhere wrapped itself around Ranma's waist followed closely by some little spatulas that cut it and finally a bonbori crashed on top of the mini spatulas.

The sigh of relief that was about to escape out of Akane's lips transformed into one of those numerous sigh of annoyance mixed with exasperation and resignation that she let out all day.

The three newly arrived girls argued with one another and words like "cute", "sexy", "wealthy", "fiancée", "Ran-chan", "Ranma-sama", "Ai Ren"... could be made out. The remaining fiancée that accompanied Ranma from school to there, being pissed off that her walk to home was interrupted and that she was being delayed from homework and training, just continued on her way with a twitch on her eyebrows.

Seeing her movements, Ranma made to follow her. Tough when they were about to leave, they both sidestepped the ribbon aiming them from behind. However, a second one wrapped around Akane's waist and yanked her to where the other fiancées were standing.

All motions stopped as the single male of the group looked in the direction of the four girls with a raised eyebrow whereas three out of four of his fiancées looked back with determination shining in their eyes. Akane just looked annoyed though unknown to the others, her anger just escalated a level and she made a really, **_really_** big attempt to contain it as she didn't want things to turn more troublesome than they already were, and succeeded.

Kodachi was the first one to speak, after emitting her insane and trademark laughter, **_of course_**.

"Ranma-sama, my chivalrous knight, here comes the time for you to make a choice."

Ranma's only reaction was to put a flabbergasted expression on his face and Akane's was to widened her eyes, not anticipating this new way of creating problems with which the other girls concocted. Shampoo and Ukyo nodded while the firs added.

"Yes, Ai Ren choose best wife then have too too children."

Ukyo even put in her piece of mind.

"They're right Ranma-honey, we are all the fiancées that you got and we're all here, so let's solve this fiancée problem once and for all."

Sweat began to pour out of Ranma's forehead, he looked at one fiancée to the others – though Kodachi was a self-proclaimed one, the same goes for Shampoo, but hey, she thought she had any chance to be picked, **_right_** – then focused on Akane's face, to observe her reaction in this somewhat newly weird situation. His official by contract fiancée looked back at him with exasperation without a doubt waiting for his answer so that she could go back home and go on with her life.

His other fiancées, deciding they have waited long enough, gave him all the reasons on why he would have to choose them, trying to convince and persuade him . As their attempt seemed to be screwed because they were all talking at the same time, the implicitly agreed upon truce was broken and they charged at each other to eliminate the possible candidates. Their actions made them go far from their "fiancé" so Ranma and Akane were left together. A sigh escaped from the nervous boy as neither of them moved.

"What is their problem, really ?"

Ticked off as he was, he continued on ranting until he remarked his silent fiancée staring straight at him. The pig-tailed boy scratched the back of his head nervously, waiting for her to mallet him for some or other reasons.

He was starting to sweat again and thought of something to break yet again the heavy silence hung between them. As he were to do just some stupid thing and shove his foot deep into his mouth, the unCUTE teenager standing before him beat him to it.

"They are right, you know." She continued to stare. "It's time you make your choice."

Ranma looked at her, dumbfounded. '_Not her too !_' He shouted in his mind.

As he was on the verge to tell her that, she cut him to the chase. "So I realized I could help you with that."

He looked curious and raised his eyebrows. '_What is she talking about ? How can she help me ?_'

"I can make it so that instead of two fiancées, one amazonian self-proclaimed fiancée and one crazy, insanely lunatic self-proclaimed fiancée; you would have one less from your back."

The black-haired martial artist's mouth hanged open "How would you be able to do that ?"

Akane shrugged "It's simple, I have all the materials and arguments necessary to convince her family and the tell-tale fiancée. All you have to do..."

She searched in her bag for something and presented it to her fiancé. "...is sign this."

Ranma took the offered piece of paper that was folded and went to straight it out but Akane continued to speak so he reported his attention to her.

"Remember, this is your decision on whether you want one less fiancée. I'm giving you a choice here because you never had any say in, well, any matter. This is your opportunity to impose your point of view to your father, to correct one mistake that your father made."

Eagerness and hesitation were present on the male martial artist's face as he has been conned multiple times by Nabiki and he full well knew that every thing came with a price. But coming from Akane, he knew he could trust her but better be safe than sorry.

"Do I have to sign it blindly or can I take a look into it first ?"

Akane shrugged. "If I'm giving you a choice, it means that I want you to know what is in it and the consequences that can provoke. I'm not Nabiki, I'm not as sneaky as her."

Then she dashed off, saying a "see you later" in a rushed tone, leaving Ranma in the dust. He blinked and returned his gaze on the folded piece of paper in his grip, struggling on whether reading it or not. A determined glint made its way in his eyes as he straightened the paper.

Meanwhile, Akane finally went back home and announced her arrival before going upstairs to put her things away. She put on her gi and went into the dojo, giving a brief "Same as yesterday" to Kasumi's question on how school was.

Once bricks were stacked one over the other with many piles waiting for their turn, she yelled out an angry shout and proceeded to vent off her mounting anger and frustration of the day. Funny how they came out right on the moment she finished preparing herself for her training. She didn't even understand it herself, she was laid off all of the day, so why was she so angry ? She pushed out those thoughts as she wasn't interested into finding the answers to them and concentrated onto beating the hell out of those poor and innocent bricks. As if their only fault was their existence.

"Ranma-no-baka, not even able to choose his own fiancée out of four girls ! Ah, now that I think about this, maybe he doesn't love any of us... Oh, poor guy ! But then again, if it is like that, he should tell everyone to leave him alone, I don't understand him... Oh, well. Ranma-no-baka !"

As she poured out her anger, she heard her name being yelled out. '_So he took a look at what was written on the paper. Not so stupid after all._' As she finished her thought, the dojo's door burst open and a frowning Ranma stood there. She ignored him and continued with her training. The sounds of her war cry and Ranma's panting breath were the only ones heard within the dojo.

Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, Ranma waved the paper clutched tightly in his hands in the air. "What's that Akane ?"

She turned to look at him then at the paper and answered in a 'duh' voice. "Paper."

Ranma palm faced and looked at Akane with an annoyed stare and was met by an innocent look from her. He sighed. "I know it's a paper, what I want to know is what's the meaning of the contract !"

As he continued to speak, his voice went in crescendo and he shoved the said paper into Akane's face. On the paper, we could read :

**Contract for an engagement's cancellation**

**I, Saotome Ranma, wish to cancel my engagement to Tendo Akane for the following reasons :**

**1 – I never agreed to this as it was my father's, Saotome Genma, promise to Tendo Akane's father, Tendo Soun.**

**2 – My assigned fiancée is too violent, she isn't cute nor sexy enough for me. She does not dispose of anything that a man sought in a wife.**

**3 – I do not have any feelings towards her.**

**Neither family's honor will be at stake as my father fulfilled his promise to engage me to one of the Tendos girls.**

**This is just an annulment of engagement, so with Tendo Akane's permission, my father and I are welcome to stay in the Tendo's compound.**

**Signed by_.**

"Well, if you read the title of the contract, you will know that, it is a Request to cancel an engagement. Yours to me more precisely. Really Ranma, did you read it ? I mean, sure, I told you it was up to you but what is the point of telling you to read it if it's for you to ask me what it means afterwards ?"

A groan escaped Ranma's throat. "Akane, be serious !..."

"I am, Ranma."

"What I want to know is why you wrote this..."

"Well, you should have asked from the beginning."

"...and why you thought I would sign this ..."

"Theoretically Ranma, both of your questions ask the same thing."

"...and will you stop interrupting me ?"

"Did you have anything to add after your second question ?" The girl raised her eyebrows, eying the teenager before her in a blasé manner.

"Hum, no."

"Then, you will note that I did not interrupt you at all."

Silence fell upon them as Ranma thought about what she said, looking at her raised-eyebrows-if-not-expressionless face. "You are right, Akane."

"I know." Came the quick answer.

He waited for her to speak but it seems like she were doing the same with him so he spoke. "Well ?"

"Well ?" His question was returned to him.

"Won't you answer my questions ?" This time, he raised one of his eyebrows.

"I did." Akane licked her lips that were dry because of her session. Ranma's eyes followed her tongue's trail.

"You did now, didn't you ?"

"Why, yes." Exasperation was rolling out of her.

"What questions did you answer exactly ?"

"Those questions, starting from 'will you stop interrupting me ?' to 'what questions did you answer exactly ?' so yes, I did answer your questions."

"Akane, what is wrong with you today ?" Ranma's eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, I'm tempted to say 'nothing' but you'll be all pissed off and all yelling so I'll just ask 'what do you mean ?'" An eye roll was presented as she finished her sentence.

"Not only did you not become mad when the other girls were clinging onto me but you're also awfully calm today. I want to know what is going on !" Paper still hold into his hand, Ranma fisted his hands and put them on his waist, making the paper all crumpled.

"So you admit you have always known the fact that Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi clinging on to you would upset me." A blink followed this statement.

"Well, uhm, when you receive a mallet on your head each time a girl clung onto you, you tend to conclude that the reason is because the person making you visit oblivion by mallet  
ways is upset about the situation. Ah, ahah." A fidgeting Ranma was the sight that graced Akane's eyes.

The pig-tailed boy chuckled nervously as he realized that he was rambling and they were straying from the main topic of his presence in the dojo at the moment.

"I see." Akane rubbed her chin as if in thought but more just so that Ranma could think that she was taking him seriously on his last sentence.

"So, why the change today ?"

"I am tired, I guess." She repressed a smile as a random thought came up. '_It's so easy to upset him by answering his questions by statements of facts as in here when he asked me "why", I was really tempted to respond with "why not". He makes it so easy that it's a crime not to indulge to my temptation._'

"O...kay, and the contract ?"

"I told you that I could help you with one of your fiancées to leave you alone and you accepted my help." She shrugged to add emphasize to her response.

"But I didn't know it would be you."

"I'm one of your fiancées and I have all the arguments to convince our families to break off the engagement. Or did you forget that I was UNcute, UNsexy, a real tomboy, violent and not good enough for you ?" There again, a sigh was let out as Akane found that she was repeating herself a little too much that day. '_If I knew that I would be acting like a broken tape I wouldn't have given him a way out of this engagement. Nah, too much to gain not to break it off._'

"I never said, okay yes, I did but that was not what I meant and what would you gain from this ?" Ranma finished off lamely.

"Peace." She crossed her fingers, praying. '_Please, let him be satisfied with this though I really doubt he will, I just can't stand those endless questions of his._'

"Peace ?" Confusion was splattered on the aspirant to be the manly man.

"Yes, peace." Akane mentally rolled her eyes. '_Really now, thanks for nothing Mister G. It was too much to ask for him to let me be, huh._' She too a deep breath to control her growing annoyance. "No more fiancées chasing you will come bother me in order to have you, my house won't be destroyed anymore and if ever they do wreak it like your mother's, even break one of my walls, I'll ask Nabiki to charge them a sum that even their descendants won't be able to pay up."

Ranma could difficultly stifle a shudder regarding the sum that Nabiki could charge someone for destroying something that is considered hers. And in this case, the other fiancées wouldn't have any reasons to be uncivilized to Akane and her house so it was a legal and sensible reason to punish them.

"And I did include in the contract that you could stay here." Akane crossed her arms on her chest and frowned. "So why are you complaining ?"

The teenage boy was gazing at her chest when she crossed her arms on it, emphasizing her breast, and making him hypnotized by it. Nervously, he looked around and rubbed the back of his neck. "No reason... I guess."

Sighing, Akane began to walk out of the dojo. "Good then." Ranma reached out to touch her but stopped inches away from actually being in contact with her. As a parting, the female martial artist said : "Sign it and you'll be free, Ranma."

He cleared out his throat and swallowed the lump in it and managed to surprise her. "Will you spar with me ?"

She answered without turning around but stopping on her track. "You'll just be dodging and jumping around the dojo. You never took me seriously so I don't see how this time is different."

Unknown to her soon-to-be ex-fiancé once he signed the paper, Akane has a soft smile betraying her excitement at him requesting to spar with her. She heard him gulped and could picture him licking his lips as uncertainty took hold of him.

Upon hearing Akane's sigh and seeing her starting to move again, the young martial artist panicked and said rapidly "I swear, this time, it won't just be dodging, I'll counter attack...uhm...yeah, but I won't attack."

He stopped his rambling once she turned around rather speedily with an excited smile. "Really ?" Akane couldn't believe her chance though she was a little disappointed when he said that he won't attack '_Oh well, that's an improvement from before. At least now, he will stop jumping around like a monkey and help me with my techniques._'

"Yeah." Came the breathless answer.

As they started to take a stance, the only thought that passed Ranma's mind was '_I can and have no want to let go of this cute smile of hers._'

Dinner came and went without too many incidents if you were referring to it with everyday life. And night time showed up.

Night, the only moment of the whole day where thoughts liked to make an appearance and would not leave you alone. As for this night, Ranma just couldn't sleep as the contract entered his mind eyes again and again each time he would close physically. Breathing out a sound of annoyance, he got up and went on the rooftop where he found his soon-to-be ex-fiancée if ever he would accept to sign the piece of paper.

As he ascended, he couldn't help but pause as he took in the sight, feeling breathless. The girl that he so _**affectionately**_ – on his point of view – call tomboy and uncute and unsexy, wasn't uncute nor unsexy even if he tried to convince himself so that he wouldn't reveal that.

There, sitting on the roof, bathed in the moonlight, in her pajamas with her knees propped up and an arm supporting her head on one knee with a thoughtful face, was Akane. Tendo Akane, the girl that he knew would be the one to cause him problems, the one that would make him suffer for his oh-so-great stupidity whereas she was so dense not to see that he wasn't the one that initiated those 'loving moments' with the other fiancées.

But, she was also the one that he knew for whom his heart beat as she was the one that stole his eyesight with her cute smile; his hearing with her beautiful voice yelling for him or just calmly talking to him; his sense of smell with her enticing mix of sweat and her own fruity odor when they were 'training' together; his sense of touch with her in his arms whenever he saved her; his sense of taste when he was in his Neko-ken form after kissing her even if he did not remember at that time, he woke up with an after taste of fiery spice and softly sweet on his lips when he licked them at the view of the purple cat before fainting.

But she was the first and only girl that stole his heart away with the first words that she uttered to him : "Do you want to be friends ?" And now that he knew her better, he couldn't help but yearn for her love, her warmth and her soulful eyes. Those eyes that would shimmer with her laughter. He wanted her, her with her temper, her beloved mallet, heck, even her bad cooking. More importantly, he wanted her with all her faults and her sweet nature.

Bewitched by her looks under the moonlight, Ranma, lost in his lovely toughts, didn't notice Akane looking at him.

While she was happy seeing his handsome face, she didn't want to argue with him so she made to leave. Her movements instantaneously caught his attention and he watched as she got up to leave. Not liking that, he went and did the first thing he could think of.

He sat down and wrapped his hand around Akane's delicate wrist, as she made her way to the ladder behind him, and tugged on it to make her fall onto his laps. With a surprised gasp, down she went, with her eyes wide opened. After making sure he didn't hurt her, Ranma watched and waited for her reaction with an arm wrapped loosely around her slim waist and a hand still holding her wrist, keeping her hand on his chest, letting her warmth seep into him.

Shock and surprise slowly slip from the girl's eyes and Ranma observed as a frown made its way on her pretty face and annoyance showed up. "Ranma, what do you think you are doing ?"

Ranma smiled as he saw her eyes glinting dangerously with annoyance, having missed this attitude of hers the all day. "Don't leave." He said simply.

Her frown deepened. "Why not ? All we will do is arguing, I don't see any point to stay for that." She said it harshly and a small pout unconsciously sttled on her lips.

'_So cute !_' The thought made its way into his brain before he could erase it. His hold on her tightened as he leaned forward making her blush heavily. "We have things to talk about."

"No, we don't." Akane gritted her teeth and struggled to get up. "Akane, please." His whisper was followed by him taking in her unique scent and his face relaxed for the first time in the day.

Feeling his breath on her face, Akane's eyes glazed over and her heartbeat sped up as she witnessed his face softening to, would she dare think it, contentment. Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and gaze fiercely at the pig-tailed teenager.

"Well ? You wanted to talk so I suggest you do just that before I mallet you to your fiancées' houses !" Her previous tire was absent and she felt anger overflowing in her mind so that she could hide how affected she was by being so close to him.

Her words barely made him wince but the emotions he could see in her eyes stabbed his heart. There were a little bit of happiness mixed in with a lot of hurt and sadness before confusion and then anger surfaced to mask all of them. And then, by a miracle, Ranma had an idea of what was going on in her head and he received his confirmation when she spoke. Guilt settled in him as a sword would settle through his beating organ as he understood, for once, that his everyday actions and insults not only hurt her but made her bitter when it came to him.

"Ranma ? Ranma? Ranma !" Akane used her free hand to pinch his side. "If you only wanted to stare at me, you could have just said it and I would have told Nabiki to sell you one of my pictures. So can I go now ? As it is apparent that you have no intention to talk ! A complete waste of my time !"

Panic rushed into his body. "No, no! Let's talk, yes, talk." At Akane's sigh, he knew he didn't have much time left before she would produce her mallet so he did the thing he thought was the more logical in this situation. He took her into his arms and held her tightly so her hands were pinned between them not allowing her hands to move and he spoke rapidly making the words rushing out of his mouth.

"I wanted to talk about this evening's contract. Why did you think I would even sign it ? Akane, why ?

She rolled her eyes and Ranma knew that sarcasm was on its way out of her mouth.

"Oh, I don't know Ranma, maybe because I wanted to help you with your fiancée problem, so that you don't have four of them but three. I already told you why earlier !"

"But why you ?" A frown took its place on the pig-tailed boy's lips.

"I also already answered this question earlier. I can convince my family to let go furthermore, I won't be unreasonably upset to the point I want to poison, kill, or smash your other fiancées." Akane huffed out the answer, already feeling completely drain from the repetitive questions.

"Why would you do this and how would you succeed into making your arguments acceptable for your family ?"

"Ranma ! Did you or did you not read the contract before you signed it and come to give it back ?"

Now, even someone as dense and clueless as Ranma could see that Akane was getting more and more annoyed as the time passed, so to make her feel better he got a good idea, well, for him. He crashed her to his chest and continued with his questions without letting her time nor space to hit him. "You did not answer the question. Why do you want to break off the engagement ?"

A growl of frustration escaped from Akane and she struggled to get out of his embrace but all of her efforts were in vain as he tightened even more his hold on her. "Ranma ! Let go ! There really is no point into talking to you, all you ever ask, I already gave you the answers when I handed you the paper ! Now let go, I want to go to sleep !"

Within her, Akane felt all her frustration, anger and annoyance from the day building up and she knew very well that the tears weren't so far from appearing. '_I have to get out of this situation, away from him._' She thought with distress as the tears were starting to gather behind her eyelids. '_I have to get away before I humiliate myself before him, quickly, break out of his embrace !_'

Ranma felt her struggles grow frantic and panicked as he didn't know how to make her stay put. "Akane, Akane, calm down ! Jeez, I just want to know the real reasons, that's all. Please, tell me."

Hearing this, Akane stopped all movements and slumped against him, panting. "You want to know why I want to break off the engagement ?" Her voice was so quiet at first that Ranma thought he imagined it.

"The reason is because I hate you. I really, really hate you !" She snapped her head up, making eye contact th him.

'_She hates me, she hates me, she really hates me_.' This thought kept repeating itself in his head as he felt his heart starting to break but then at the look of Akane's tearful eyes, his stunned and hurt expression disappeared. He saw so many emotions in her eyes.

Even if the girl in his arms saw the hurt and sadness in his widened eyes, she ignored it. All she wanted was for him to hurt just as badly as she did, for him to realize all the pain she was feeling was because of him, of every and each one of his betrayals. Because of how he would easily discard her to go to his other fiancées when they would have a means to make him normal again, to erase his curse. His hold slackened and she used the gained space to punch him on his solid chest to let him feel what she was enduring since the announce of her engagement with him and since the arrival of his other fiancées.

"I hate you more than anything else, even more than your fiancées !" Her will on not letting the tears out shattered and they spilled out as her cheeks flushed from the intensity of her sobs.

"You are the worst, you idiotic-stupid-clueless-insensitive-arrogant-uncaring-hurtful-not brilliant-cheating-jerky prick ! I hate you, I hate you from the depth of my mind !"

'_And yet I can't help but love you from the bottom of my heart..._' Akane shoved this thought aside.

"I hate you for being easily tricked, I hate you for being sweet with the strangers, I hate you for being the one that is always breaking my heart. I hate you ! I hate you... hate you..."

As she continued on rambling, pouring her heart, her fists stopped hitting him and she was tightly clutching his wife-beater. During her breakdown, Ranma didn't say anything as the hurt in her voice was so intense that he felt as if it was him hurting. He didn't even feel her hits as there wasn't any strength behind.

Remorse and regret filled his being all along the enumeration of the reasons on why she hated him. He cradled her body to his to offer what little comfort he could. She hiccuped a sob and Ranma knew he couldn't leave her like this.

"I'm sorry for discarding you when an opportunity to cure my body appear, I'm sorry for being too naive, for trusting the others even if I know it's a trap. I'm sorry for being silly when I'm with you and the most important, I'm sorry for hurting you even if it was unconsciously."

He buried his face in the space between her neck and her shoulder, her scent mixed with the salty smell of tears invaded his nose.

"I'm really sorry for all of these things, so please, Akane." There, he took a deep breath for courage. "Please, don't hate me because I love you."

He heard her took a hitched breath and prepared himself for her reaction. The girl laughed, yes she laughed, mirthlessly. Her joyless laugh made Ranma start and he put some distance between them to look her in the eyes without letting go.

"Really Ranma, how can you love an uncute, unsexy, tomboy-like, macho-chick ?" The question was so full of sarcasm that the remorse grew even more in Ranma, to the point where he was almost suffocating in it.

He cursed internally for his inability to tell her every day truthfully how she was to him, so he decided to rectify that this night and tell her the truth whether his nerves would allow it or not. "You are not uncute and unsexy. On the contrary, I find you really cute and in a sense sexy. The fact that you are a tomboy and act like a macho-chick makes you unique in my eyes..."

Akane cut him off with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. "Oh please, as if I'm cute, you've always said it, Ukyo is way cuter; as if I'm sexy, you experiment it every day, Shampoo is sexier and as if you like the way I am, as you say, your other fiancées are better than me. They have better chance to find a husband because they can cook and I can't."

The bitterness in her voice didn't go unnoticed to Ranma as it was impossible to miss. He shook his head to deny her accusations and to shake off the disappointment he felt towards himself for not succeeding in convincing her that he was telling the truth. "I'm telling you the truth, believe me. I find you really cute, you're the sweetest girl I've ever met..."

"You're just telling me that to make me feel better. You don't think that." Her frown made Ranma even more determined to convince her that he loved her.

He used his thumb and index to make eye contact and making so that she wouldn't break it. "Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that I'm lying."

Her reddened eyes searched his blue eyes and she let out a sigh. '_Ranma has never been able to lie._' Taking the sigh as she knowing e was entirely truthful, he continued on his attempt to convince her of his love for her.

"I have loved you since the day we met." '_So cliché._' was the thought that entered her brain as she rose her eyebrows.

"You've captured all my senses with your sole being. My nose has been so used to your scent since the first day we were sparring together, I smell it every time I go into the dojo. My ears ache to hear your laugh and I like it so much when you're screaming in anger because it reminds me that you can be fierce. My hands are always tingling after I'm sure that you're safe in my arms each time I save you from some psychos. Your taste didn't leave from my mouth before I understood that in the Neko-ken state, I kissed you. My eyes can never leave your face for long because I'm always waiting longingly for that so beautiful, cute smile of yours. And trust me when I say that my heart has place for no one but you to love since you asked for my friendship.

All my being is longing for you when you are not by my side and my heart aches for your love. So I'm telling you the truth when I say I love you."

Ranma observed Akane's face, where tears dried up, she looked amazed and wondering. '_I didn't know he could talk so much and so well. He really surprises me, I didn't know he knew so much about love._'

Nervous and lost, Ranma didn't know what to do as he waited for reaction so he reached for her cheek with his hand and neared her face to his. Their breath mingling together, eyes half-lidded, Akane gazed up at Ranma so that their lips were a breath away from touching.

That was the last thing that stole his nervous mind from him and he plunged his head forward. Their lips touched.

The kiss was unexperienced but neither minded as all they were aware of was the fact that finally, their feelings were expressed.

They parted, panting lightly, letting their foreheads touching, and eyes still closed to savor the moment a little longer. Ranma opened his eyes first and watched Akane's flushed face, he couldn't help but smile softly at the sight of her lovely face.

When she opened her softened eyes, her heart melted by the sight of the most beautiful face she had ever seen on Ranma's face and because it was directed at her. She was the only one that could witness it and she was pleased by this knowledge.

"Do you believe now when I say that all my body is yours, your taste is even more present and even more delicious, so intoxicating, than when I unconsciously kissed you." The smile that set upon her face made his heart skip so many beats, that it was a miracle he didn't get a cardiac infarction and spoiled that rare mood between them.

Her smile was free from doubts, fears and hurts even though they were still there, in her mind, but on this uninterrupted instant, she let herself free from them. If only just for this night. She was content to be there with him. She nestled her head into his chest and a whisper floated in the night air, the words making Ranma elated.

"I love you too, Ranma." She heard him take a deep breath and added even more silently if it was possible : "So don't hurt me." to make him understand that he already hurt her too much for her to forgive him in the near future; that he could not afford to mess up this time or he would lose her forever.

"I promise you, Akane." He answered seriously, hearing the implicit threat. Then he smiled playfully. "Then I suppose you don't mind if I do this, right ?"

Akane looked curiously at him and he produced the contract that stimulated his confession. Ranma stared straightly into Akane's eyes and tore it to shreds letting it flow away in the night.

"I will never give up on you."


End file.
